My name is Ryan. I know what your thinking its a guys name. No one told my parents that. Back in August 18, 1973. My friends and I were heading to a football game and on our way we got caught in something gruesome. My sisters boyfriend had a van which looks much better on the inside than it does on the outside. In the back of the van is nothing but a collection of old records, an old mattress lying on the ground, a cooler, and bottles of half drunken water. Behind the back of the mattress lie many bags of marijuana and weed. Sitting in the passenger's seat is ERIN, She also wears a white cowboy hat and eats a small carrot stick. Driving is her boyfriend , KEMPER STERLING. Sitting in the backseat is ANDY PARTAIN. In his arms is his girlfriend, PEPPER HARRINGTON,Pepper sits on top of Andy's lap while they both kiss and hug. Sitting on the floor in the back of the van is Erin's brother and my boyfriend , MORGAN HARDESTY. He is a very smart and handsome guy. He reads a magazine while Andy and Pepper make their way to the mattress and continue to kiss. While they kiss I make a fake gagging sound and they stop then look at me. I just laugh. Suddenly pepper hits me with a pillow. I look at her with my crazy eye look. Then they get back in their original seats. "Ryan, how the hell do you do that crazy eye thing?" Asked pepper. " I have no clue". " huh". "Tell me how much you love me" said Kemper. Erin brings her pointer finger very close to her thumb. They are barely touching "This much" she said. "Bullshit!". Erin laughs and pretends to stick her tongue out in disgust. She widens her fingers."This much". As Erin and Kemper kiss. I stand up and reaches my hand over to the air conditioning, pulling Erin and Kemper apart. "Ryan you ass!" Yelled Erin. "What? It's hot in here. I'm just trying to get a little cool" I said. "I'm afraid the air conditioning won't help. It's like hell out there". "Well could you do it when Kemper and I are not so close together, please?" " let me think about !". I grab Erin's carrot sticks and bites it. I smile. Erin smacks me. " Erin, don't smack my girlfriend" said Morgan grabbing my waist to pull me back. I sits back down Morgan goes back to reading his book. I grab my bag and pull out my phone. " baby, you don't get service out here" Morgan said. " I'm not using the internet ". I put in my head phones and play my music. I lean my head back on the window. I Start To have flash backs of my mother then My favorite song starts playing. She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati On a snow white Christmas Eve Going home to see her Mama and her Daddy with the baby in the backseat Fifty miles to go and she was running low on faith and gasoline It'd been a long hard year She had a lot on her mind and she didn't pay attention She was going way too fast Before she knew it she was spinning on a thin black sheet of glass She saw both their lives flash before her eyes She didn't even have time to cry She was so scared She threw her hands up in the air December 24 1959 3:10 am outside of Portland Oregon " mom, where are we going?" I said tiredly. " away from your father!". " why?" I asked. " because he is hurts me and I don't want him to hurt you too". Suddenly the car starts to speed up. " mom". The car starts to go faster. When I sat up in my seat I saw a car coming our direction."MOM!!!". It was too late both the cars collided. I felt somthing warm run down my stomach and leg. when I lifted my had I was blood. the last thing I saw was red amd blue lights. Jesus take the wheel Take it from my hands Cause I can't do this on my own I'm letting go So give me one more chance Save me from this road I'm on Jesus take the wheel It was still getting colder when she made it to the shoulder And the car came to a stop She cried when she saw that baby in the backseat sleeping like a rock And for the first time in a long time She bowed her head to pray She said I'm sorry for the way I've been living my life I know I've got to change So from now on tonight Jesus take the wheel Take it from my hands Cause I can't do this on my own I'm letting go So give me one more chance Save me from this road I'm on Oh, Jesus take the wheel Oh, I'm letting go So give me one more chance Save me from this road I'm on From this road I'm on Jesus take the wheel Oh, take it, take it from me. Oh, wow, ohhhhh. I'm snapped out of my daydreaming when the car slows down. "Hey, are you okay?" Asked Erin. I look out the window and see a girl shaking her head without looking up. "Can we give you a ride?". "I don't know where I'm going..." The girl said. "Do you live anywhere near here?" I asked "No...". "Well, we could at least give you a ride. You look exhausted. Come on in, we'll take you wherever you want to go". Pepper slides open the side of the van. The girl looks up and stays silent for a second, then, she climbs into the van. The door slides shut. I climb over the seat that I can be next to my boyfriend. "What's your name?" I asked. "Jane...". "Hi, Jane. I'm Ryan. And this is Morgan, Andy, pepper, Kemper, and Erin". They all said hi and Jane just keeps quiet. We just turn around. I can hear her cry again. "We can take you wherever you want to go". "I don't know where I want to go...I just want to get out of here..." Jane said. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to you? Why were you out here alone?" Pepper asked "I...I wasn't alone...They're all dead...". I looks at Morgan, who looks at Jane. He turns his head to Me, and we both look into each other's eyes for a moment. "Who...um...who killed them?" I asked turning around. "I...I don't know...". "What are we suppose to do now?". "Just keep driving. If she was out here then there has to be a gas station or house or something out here...It can't be that deserted I wouldn't be so sure about that. I mean, look around..." Said Kemper. Kemper looks ahead and sees a sharp turn ahead. He decides to take it and suddenly turns into it. Ahead are still nothing but dirt, grass, and old trees. "I'm not gonna make it...This is fucking perfect. I came on this stupid trip for nothing. I sure as hell didn't come on this trip to see four teens get off. Especially one with such an airless head". "You're the one who's stoned all the time! You want me to punch you again, don't you?!". "Don't fucking touch me!" Yelled Morgan. "Then shut up, Morgan! I've had it with you two" said Kemper. Erin leans in and hugs Kemper. "You could at least pretend to be a little nice on this trip" Andy said. "You'd have to kill me"said Morgan. "That'll be easy". Morgan gives Andy a look of venom. "I bet you have never even experienced physical pleasure, have you, Morgan?". "What's your point?". "I'm just saying I wouldn't be talking if I were you. Virgin". Morgan smirks. Pepper rubs Jane's back as she begins to cry again. Jane covers her ears and rocks back and forth. "He's a bad man..." Jane said "Who?" Pepper asked. "What are you talking about, Jane? You need to talk to us" Andy said. Jane doesn't speak. She moves to the back of the van, up against the back window. Pepper moves up to the front of the van. I put my head phones back in. Whoa, oh, oh Whoa, oh, oh Whoa, oh, oh Whoa I'm waking up to ash and dust I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust I'm breathing in the chemicals I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus This is it, the apocalypse Whoa I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones Enough to make my systems blow Welcome to the new age, to the new age Welcome to the new age, to the new age Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive I raise my flags, don my clothes It's a revolution, I suppose We'll paint it red to fit right in Whoa I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus This is it, the apocalypse Whoa I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones Enough to make my systems blow Welcome to the new age, to the new age Welcome to the new age, to the new age Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive All systems go, the sun hasn't died Deep in my bones, straight from inside I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones Enough to make my systems blow Welcome to the new age, to the new age Welcome to the new age, to the new age Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive I pull my headphones out when the van stops and Erin and Kemper get out. "wait, I'm going too" I said leaping out of the van. I run after them.